Folia Theologica et Canonica 11. 33/25 (2022)
Ius canonicum
142 GORAN JOVICIC Origen writes about the bishops’judgment {“per episcopi sententiam”), he has in mind the subordination of the faithful in matters such as forgiveness of sins and expulsion from the Church.98 He says clearly that this authority of remission of sins is given to the bishop, as a physician of souls99 100 {Horn, in Numeros, 10, 1).,0° St. Cyprian likewise reminds the “lapsed” that the power of the keys rests with the bishops.101 It seems, however, that Cyprian reserves the title “sacerdotes Christi' for the bishops,102 who are commissioned not only to celebrate the Eucharist (and Baptism) but also to “instruct all men in the observance of Christ’s praecepta." And this commission imposed first on the apostles by Christ, who was “sacerdos Dei Patris," had been transmitted by the apostles to the bishops in regular succession “qui apostolis vicaria ordinatione succedunt” (Ep. 66: 4, 2) or “ordinatione succesanea" (Ep. 69: 5, 1) by the imposition of hands.103 Furthermore, the whole penitential process was also under the supervision of the bishop, for as St. Cyprian says, “those who are calling on the Lord’s mercy — for He is merciful and kind — can be granted reconciliation (pax) by his ‘sacerdotes'”(Ep. 55: 29, 1). Cyprian stresses that the “sacerdos” alone finally grants the “pax" “per manu sacerdotis". 104 (De lapsis, 16) The “sacerdos” here is called to judge (iudicare) the gravity of offence, which reminds us of the familiar modem division of the threefold functions of the confessor’s office: that of judge, physician, and priest. The “sacerdos” during St. Cyprian’s time is reserved only to the bishops only. During the time of Pope Innocent I that is not the case anymore; “sacerdos" is not confined anymore to the bishop but to the priests as well, since the pope himself in his writings draws a clear distinction between the bishop (episcopus) and the sacerdotes (priests of the second order).105 Origen, Homil. in Judices, II: 5 (PG XII. 961); translation by Elisabeth Ann Dively Lauro, Homilies on Judges: The Fathers of the Church, 59. 98 Latko, E. F., Origen's Concept of Penance, 71. 99 Ibid. 13-14; cf. Vacandard, E., Confession du Ier au XIII siede, in DThC V. III. 841. Swete, H. B., Penitential Discipline in the First Three Centuries, in JTS V/4 (April, 1903), pp. 336 etc. 100 PG XII. 635. 101 Cyprian, Ep. 27: PL IV. 306. 102 See Bevenot, M., ‘Sacerdos’ as Understood by Cyprian, in The Journal of Theological Studies 30/2 (October 1979) 413^129, especially 414. 103 See Bevenot, M., ‘Sacerdos’as Understood by Cyprian, 427. 104 Ibid. 427. 105 See Watkins, O., A History of the Penance, I. 416.
